As many of you are aware, I was pleased to host the Minister for Health Brad Hazzard in our region this week. The minister has had an extraordinary last 12 months as the minister responsible for the state's response to the COVID pandemic.
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Since the Ruby Princess sent COVID into our communities, our state has had a robust response to the health crisis.
We have a quarantine system that is the envy of the world and our lockdown procedures are so tried and true that our state hasn't had to shut down borders and our economy remains the most diverse and successful of all the states and territories in the country.
The minister has been a busy man so when he came to town bearing gifts, it was a great moment for our community. A brand new ambulance station has been long overdue.
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Our current facility is not fit for purpose and cannot accommodate growth.
A brand new facility built on a greenfield site will be state of the art and will accommodate the staffing needs of the future. State investment and modelling in our region must take into account council's ambitious Blueprint 100.
It must also take into account the needs of the whole community. We live in a city separated by a river susceptible to flood meaning we must have adequate facilities on both sides of the Peel.
I was also pleased to join the minister on tours of both Tamworth and Gunnedah hospitals.
We met with COVID vaccination staff in Tamworth who deserve recognition for quickly responding to vaccination availability and setting up a clinic for our frontline workers to get the jab in great numbers.
It was great to be able to take the minister to see the current state of Gunnedah hospital and the Rural Health Centre. It was important that we demonstrate the need for the $53 million Gunnedah hospital redevelopment to Minister Hazzard.
The minister saw the low ceilings and unlit rooms of the current facility alongside the brilliant work done by PRAMS in Gunnedah and agreed that working with PRAMS on the future maternity clinic of the hospital was crucial.
We have real issues to be addressed in rural health and I am pleased that the minister was able to come to our region and see firsthand what we are all working to improve.
I have no doubt that the memory of our great region will remain vivid in the minister's mind moving forward.
Kevin Anderson is also the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, and Minister Responsible for Racing.